Same City
by cici.mel1978
Summary: Raph is looking out at the city at night with his best friend Casey after taking out the Purple Dragons. As the lights show through the city, Raph's thoughts turn to Lana and a dark space within a sea of lights.


City Lights/Nights - Theme 006

Disclaimer and Author Note: For any who wonder what Lana looks like go over to melismatic1946 at deviantart. I plan on posting at another art site too but not sure what. Anyway, I do not own TMNT. If I did I would be happily rich. I do own Lana and the Sapient World Universe where she is from.

This was done for tmntflashfic for a theme challenge. As always reviews, comments and constructive criticism are welcome as well as story prompts. In fact I am currently working on three stories that reviewers have requested so THANKS GUYS!

Please Enjoy the story everyone!

* * *

One - Two - Three

Punch - Two - Three

Kick His Ass - Two - Three

It was like a dance.

That's what she called it. Raph could remember when they both would fight together. At first it was awkward as she tried to adjust to his and Casey's beat, but she adjusted. Or maybe it was him. The three of them moved with the beat of the flashing lights of the city until him and her learned their own duet when alone. Rough around the edges with a sweet tempo. Flawed and imperfect, but it fit them perfectly.

The night air was warm, a perfect night to be a turtle. He would have been appreciating it if not for the idiots he was currently throwing around, but he didn't regret it because right now he felt alive.

The beat...

The pulse...

The city hummed and roared all at once as his fist connected, then his feet and then next came his sai.

Casey wasn't too far off. The bonehead delivered a hockey stick to any idiot dumb enough to not let the hockey puck take them out. The Purple Dragons were a gang like no other, running too much of the streets to his and Casey's liking and Raph. His brothers never seemed to patrol enough or in the right places, so he and Casey fixed that. She did too.

They didn't go on patrols. Patrols had teams. Teams had leaders and none of them were the best at following direction. They went out and took care of their city; his and Casey's and in a way it was hers too.

Now it was back to him and Casey. It was up to the two of them to make sure these scum regretted hitting the streets and trying to destroy their city. It was her city too for a time.

The idiots littered the ground as his chest heaved. Broken glass at the store window had him growling. He could already hear the sirens. The cops were coming but even with the loud groans and battered bodies, he wasn't sure they learned their lesson.

He looked at one on the ground with blood at his lips. An eye was swollen shut and a leg was going the wrong way. Raph's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. He knew the old man that ran the store. An old comic book store. Nothing special to some but everything to him. It had a small back area that the man let him come in just to read some comics or bring some home to his baby brother Mikey. He wasn't bothered by the green skin, shell and three fingered hands.

But these dumb asses were going to steal from him…

"Come on, man! Let's go!"

Raph glanced over at Casey. His best friend's mask was pulled up revealing skull face paint and dark eyes.

"Comin'..." Raph's rage was still there. It boiled over as he kicked the guy in his gut as Raph made a fist while crouching down, the loud groan was music to his ears before he heard Leo's voice speak up in his head about his lack of mercy. He exhaled slowly before getting up and taking off. He was shaking and could feel the stare of concerned eyes at his back as he pulled himself up.

Slipping into the shadows was second nature now after so many years of practice. He pulled himself up over the ledge. Every bruise and cut on his skin burned and made him grin as he felt Casey plop down next to him.

"Now THAT was a fight." Casey laughed with his fist going up as Raph smirked letting his own fist bump against the teen vigilante's fist.

"Hell yea." Raph chuckled, looking over Casey while spotting the lanky teen's own bruises over exposed skin. Most likely there was more bruises underneath the long sleeves and jeans. Raph licked a bruised lip and grinned more as the metallic taste hit his tongue as he heard sirens near by.

Color and lights flashed through the city at different stops and everywhere else you turned and looked. Raph felt the same awe he always did at the view of the skyline.

"I shoulda bought some beer." Casey murmured.

Raph snorted. "Prolly best ya didn't. Last time I had to have Fearless in my ear for days. That ain't even mentioning what dad did." He shuddered at the thought of the hashi and how many hours he was in it. That added to chores that he was sure his dad put close to Mikey's area on purpose as he dealt with a splitting headache.

"You trying to say it wasn't worth it?" Casey smirked at him and Raph thought more on it. It was bad. Real bad. But would he do it again…

He gave a slow grin.

"Nah, def worth it," he laughed and Casey flashed a gap-toothed grin.

"So why ain't ya bring none?" Raph leaned back. The sirens were gone. It was far off but he could still see the lights of the police flashing, but more lights gleamed in the distance. There were traffic lights along with the headlights of cars that turned every street corner. The city was always breathing. Always alive.

"Pops was trippin' about school but I don't care…"

Raph glanced over to him. He wasn't sure what to say. Mikey would have joked, Don would think up some answer, then Leo would have the best advice; though he'd never admit it to Fearless. It didn't help that Casey's situation was so damn tricky.

And what would she do…

Over the sea of lights, his eyes spotted the spot of darkness that used to be his brightest light. It was the place that she called home before Raph's dad offered her their own home. Now it was abandoned. It looked odd among the lit up skyline, but he smirked as he knew exactly what she'd do…

 _Make shit worse._

He looked over at Casey again with the smirk still on his face, "I don't blame ya…"

It was truth. The moment he found out Casey's dad used to work with the Purple Dragon gang, he didn't blame Casey for not respecting the man. His dad being part of those idiots got Casey's mom killed, it was betrayal of the worse kind. Hallmark didn't sell cards for that.

"It's whatever. I'm passing, so who cares." Casey smirked.

"Only cuz of April…" Raph snickered and watched Casey roll his eyes. "If she's home we cou-" his mouth snapped shut and he looked to see Casey looking at him. His expression changing as he turned his head.

"Nah, she's prolly with Don right now." Casey chuckled, nudging Raph as the red masked turtle put a smirk on his face. He didn't look in that was supposed to be a light on at that apartment, but there was only darkness there.

"Yeah…"

They'd usually go by April's by now, pulled along because "girl time" was needed.

It was just him and Casey now. Again.

Casey sighed before he started talking. "It's kinda weird. I mean we were like Timon, Pumba and Simba!"

"Did ya really just compare us to a meerkat, a lion and a warthog who needs a laxative?" Raph's brow ridge rose at Casey.

"Pretty sure that make it worse…" Casey's finger tapped on his chin.

"Why we friends again?"

"Screw you man." Casey laughed. "But ya gotta admit. It's...I don't know…You straight though?"

Raph stayed quiet awhile, listening to the sounds as his eyes scanned the city's horizon. Lights flashed. Its own sky of stars, that spanned out at eye level yet one part didn't light up;no matter how much he willed it to.

"What ya think she doing right now…?"

"I think...she doing like us. Kickin' ass, givin' bozos the middle finger and lookin' out at the city lights…same city as us. Don's gonna find a way to make the portal work."

"Yeah." Raph smiled to himself as he thought over what Casey said, "I'm straight. Come on man cuz if I gotta go back to the hashi you comin' with me…" he smirked while standing up and starting to walk off.

"I do my job as the best friend and ya threaten me?" Casey let out a fake gasp. "Just evil…plain evil..." He followed after Raph as they moved across the roof tops and closer to the lair.

"Really think she lookin out there too?"

"Yeah man, I do…"

* * *

Lana's eyes looked out at the city as the lights gleamed everywhere. Her weapons were strapped to her body along with her kunai which was hidden in wrappings. The scythe was against her shell and her pair of tanto to her side.

"Lana come on! Leo spotted some people!"

"Great job Mikey, just let the enemy know we're comin'!"

Her heart panged at the wrong Raph's voice and chuckled at Mikey as she moved to catch up. She could hear the boys fighting as she made her way in the fray. The night air was warm and she'd be enjoying it if not for these idiots, but it was like a dance she'd never miss.

Leo…

Mikey…

Don..

Raph...the wrong Raph but she'd help this one too.

She would help until she found her way to hers, and that was a promise.


End file.
